Warren defends her vote for Carson amid liberal ire

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, facing flak from usually supportive liberals for backing Ben Carson's bid to become housing and urban development secretary, on Wednesday defended her decision despite "serious, deep, profound concerns" about his qualifications.

"Yes, I adamantly disagree with many of the outrageous things that Dr. Carson said during his presidential campaign," the Massachusetts Democrat wrote on Facebook. "Yes, he is not the nominee I wanted. But 'the nominee I wanted' is not the test."

Story Continued Below

Warren said that Carson "made good, detailed promises" in responses to written questions she posed on a variety of housing policy issues, though she acknowledged that "I don't know" if the conservative former brain surgeon can be trusted to follow through on those commitments.

Warren had sharply questioned Carson during his confirmation hearing in the Banking committee but on Tuesday chose to support advancing his nomination to a vote by the full Senate, surprising some fans on the left who have kept her on the 2020 presidential shortlist. The liberal blog Daily Kos headlined a post on Warren's pro-Carson vote "The Resistance Crumbles."